Eucalyptus & Honey |H.S.|

Chapter 14 - Broke My Fingers Knocking

Sweat prickled my back, and my cheeks felt like I'd spent the day in the sun. My hair was pulled back out of my face, but I could feel the baby hairs curling from perspiration, creating a less-than-ideal halo of hair surrounding my face. My neck ached from bending over for so long, and my feet were begging for relief.

I had about five more coffee orders to make before we'd make it through the rush, and I could finally take a break. It was one of those rare cloudy days in L.A., leading everyone to order hot drink after hot drink, despite the still very present heat that hung in the outside air. This also made the lunch rush much heavier and much less desirable than usual. I really needed to quit.

The air in here was suffocating, and I always got particularly irritable on days like this. That was why Miles and I were working on the drinks while Olive worked the counter. I turned around to see if there was anyone else in line and, thankfully, found no one but Olive behind me. I let out an audible sigh at the break I would soon be able to take, and finished up with the coffee orders in front of me.

Four out of the five orders were to-go, so I called out those names, each person quickly grabbing their drink and leaving. When I was left with a simple americano with vanilla in a ceramic cup, I turned to Olive and Miles, picking up the hot drink that sat precariously on its saucer. "You guys okay if I drop this off and take my break?"

Olive smiled wide, looking far too excited after coming out of such a long rush. "Not at all, I was just gonna suggest that."

I furrowed my brows at her enthusiasm and looked towards Miles, thinking maybe he had the answer for her good mood. He just shrugged. I met Olive's eyes again, and found that just-as-bright smile. "What's up with you?" I asked, finally. The coffee was still held in my hands, saucer preventing my skin from burning.

She shrugged, but her smile didn't falter. "Nothing, can't I just be in a good mood?"

I frowned, and shook my head. "Not when you're working in the tenth circle of hell."

"Well, it's a good day in hell," she beamed, and I snorted at the juxtaposition of her statement with her demeanor.

"Whatever, I'll see you guys after my break."

"Have fun," Olive said, drawing out the last word. Miles just gave me a nod of acknowledgment. He was a man of few words, and that was probably my favorite thing about him.

I headed towards the table this coffee was for, contents sloshing slightly over the edges. I would probably get a dirty look from the customer for that, but I didn't really give a fuck at this point.

I walked into the larger part of the cafe that held much more seating, and searched for the number associated with this order. Most of the tables were full, except for a few that had dirty dishes on it from the last customers. I continued to scan the tables, and finally found the number I was searching for.

It was, surprisingly, empty but had the number sat on top of it. I shrugged, figuring they were probably in the bathroom, and that it wasn't my fault if their drink got stolen because they chose to leave their table unattended. I approached the empty table that was made to seat two, and sat the cup on its surface. I swiped the number from the table top, and spun on my heel to bring it back to the front so that I could finally sit and enjoy my break.

However, when I faced away from the table, I nearly ran into a solid surface. I automatically put my hands up in front of me to stop myself from completely running into this unexpected wall, and my palms met a solid chest beneath a bright orange t-shirt with the words I'd love to fellate George Harrison written on it.